Museo Nazionale del Cinema launches Torino Encounters short film series

For its 25th anniversary, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin has launched Torino Encounters, a project commissioning short films to valorize the museum, its collections, and the city. The first film, Ecce Mole by German director Heinz Emigholz, premiered at the New York Film Festival on September 27, 2025, and will screen at Duisburger Filmwoche on November 4 and at the Gijón International Film Festival later in November. Emigholz's film compares two works by architect Alessandro Antonelli: the Mole Antonelliana (originally a synagogue, completed in 1889, at 167 meters the tallest masonry building in Europe) and Casa Scaccabarozzi (known as "Fetta di Polenta"). Films by Radu Jude and Jia Zhangke are scheduled for 2026; Jude will focus on the museum's archive and adult film collection, while Zhangke will create a fictional story starring muse Zhao Tao set between China and Turin. Museum president Enzo Ghigo emphasized this marks the museum's first production of films for festival circulation, transforming it from custodian to producer. Director Carlo Chatrian stated the project aims to give new life to material and immaterial heritage through non-commercial distribution.